Ideal Winter Warmers

Guest Author - Clare Stubbs

With the winter weather closing in, this will be the time to start looking for recipes that are suitable for the cooler months ahead. You will find that there are a variety of Greek winter warmers which are ideal throughout this period and prove to be extremely popular.

When it comes to choosing a hearty meal, the possibilities are endless. Where do you begin? What dishes are recommended? A few suggestions have been included to help give you a good idea of some traditional yet warming foods.

Winter in Greece

Greece is well known for temperatures to reach between 15 and 20 degrees throughout the winter. Salads and vegetables continue to be eaten but foods such as stews, pies and soups are also regularly seen at the dinner table.

Some fruits, vegetables and other ingredients may be available in Greece, but perhaps not in other countries. If this is the case, you can always adjust a recipe slightly and use other ingredients that are readily available.

Traditional Greek Winter Foods

With so many recipes to choose from, you may not be sure where to begin. The following suggestions will give you a better idea of some dishes that are very easy to make and are ideal during the cold season.

• Greek meatballs (Keftedes) – These are made using ground meat, commonly beef and served hot, they go perfectly with a salad. Another option would be to place them in fresh, warm pita bread.

• Homemade soups. There are so many different varieties you could make and these can range from a simple tomato soup to the very popular Avgolemono (chicken and lemon) soup.

• Baklava is a popular dessert made with phyllo pastry but there are other ways of using this particular ingredient. You could make a homemade pie with a selection of tasty fillings such as fresh vegetables or fruits; this is the chance to be creative.

• Pastitsio is known as a Greek lasagne which tends to be made with lamb or beef but you could make a vegetarian option using spinach or eggplant and combine with some feta cheese.

These are just a few recipes but ones that you should consider trying at some point. Each of these meals make great winter warmers and can be adapted to suit your tastes.